The familiar pay phone or public telephone has become extremely pervasive and, through the years, has been fabricated using a number of different constructions. While the specific construction details of such pay phones or public telephones may have varied, generally all includes a basic telephone unit supporting a coin operated mechanism and a telephone dialer. A handset is coupled to the main telephone unit by a cable and includes both a speaker for listening as well as a microphone for speaking. Originally public or pay telephones were found almost exclusively within privacy booths generally referred to as phone booths. However, under economic pressures, the telephone companies installing such public phones drifted toward public telephone installations which avoided the use of expensive space consuming private phone booths in favor of multiple pay phone installations separated by partial wall dividers or dividing panels.
In many situations and in many neighborhoods, the presence of pay telephones provide a number of extremely necessary and desirable services. The availability of such pay phones often provides a critical emergency communication system for persons out on the street or in the neighborhoods. Similarly, traveling motorists, having encountered operating difficulties or other problems, often seek the much needed emergency roadside communications of a nearby public or pay telephone. In addition to emergency uses and situations, public telephones often provide the sole communication link or inhabitance of extremely poor neighborhoods in which the possession of installed telephone service within the home is an unaffordable luxury. Such persons often rely upon the communications access to public telephones for many support services. In addition, a variety of business users such as sales personnel covering their particular territories rely heavily on the availability of public telephones. Finally, younger people, particularly those in their teens, often seek the local public telephone as a more private facility from which to make their often extended social telephone calls.
While there is no doubt that public telephones provide a variety of necessary services and highly desirable opportunities for communications, the provision and maintenance of such public telephones has been subjected to a number of problems. One problem arises out of the high usage which such public phones often receive in that the ordinary wear and tear on the telephone, the telephone dialer and the coin operating mechanism requires substantial maintenance activities. In addition, such phones are often subjected to adverse weather conditions and exposure. In addition to ordinary wear and tear, a growing trend within the community has subjected public telephones to destructive vandalism and attempts at the theft therefrom. Frequently vandals find apparent enjoyment in destroying such public telephones by cutting the handset connecting cord or otherwise damaging the mechanism. Attempts at theft from public phones generally focus upon highly destructive efforts to liberate the coin reservoir from the coin operated mechanism.
In addition to problems of vandalism and wear and tear, public telephones are subjected to the various conditions of poor sanitation and disease which beset many of the users. Since public telephones are often used in high noise environments such as parking lots, street corners and the like, users tend to maintain the microphone and speaker in close proximity to their head and mouth. Thus, successive users are often subjected to the hygiene and disease problems of previous users. As the use of protective telephone booths became less and less prevalent, users of public telephones often find themselves subjected to adverse weather conditions when using public telephones.
In attempts to meet the variety of problems which have beset the public telephone, practitioners in the art have attempted to strengthen the telephone unit against vandalism and theft. Often manufacturers protect the handset connecting cable with a metal armored shield to discourage vandalism directed at cutting the handset cable. In addition, the physical housing which supports the coin operated unit is often stregthened and reinforced to discourage breaking and damage. In addition, the severe econmic pressures upon the continued provision of public telephones has prompted practitioners in the art to develop more economical and low cost fabrication techniques.
Despite these concerted efforts, however, the combined costs and difficulties are gradually diminishing the number of public telephones installed and maintained. Thus, a danger exists that this vital communication facility will slowly disappear from many areas where it is needed the most.
In addition to the conventional pay phone provided by practitioners in the art, other forms of access to telephone facilities have been provided. U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,232 issued to DeLuca sets forth a LOCKING DEVICE FOR TELEPHONE SUBSCRIBER PLUGS designed to prevent unauthorized access to a telephone subscriber circuit jack of the type located at a building entrance terminal or structure. The jack accommodates a plug having a manually engageable release member and defines a recess accommodating the jack. The locking device includes a housing element defining a generally rectangular enclosed recess. Means within the recess locate the plug in a predetermined position. A forward wall in the housing defines an opening opposite the plug which provides access. A cover element is supported upon the housing and is movable between open and closed positions.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,096,404 issued to Semon sets forth a TELEPHONE SWITCHBOARD PATCHING UNIT which enables telephone switchboard operators to connect an incoming call with an outgoing call. A pair of telephone connections provide the appropriate coupling between sources of incoming and outgoing calls. Switching circuitry within the patching unit provide appropriate electrical connections.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,732 issued to Cwirzen, et al. sets forth an INTERFACE MODULE WITH MODULAR JACK FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS which comprises a module for connection to the incoming telephone lines and having a modular jack for plugging into one of the incoming lines. The module provides a plug in arrangement and incorporates line protectors. A socket recess within the module is adapted to receive a conventional telephone plug to provide connection to the interfaced telephone line.
While the foregoing described prior art devices as well as the conventional public telephone have provided means of access to telephone communications, there remains a continuing need in the art for a suitable replacement or supplement for conventional interface telephone devices and public or pay telephones.